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Top 10(ish) Games To Look Out For On Nintendo Switch Online
Need some help deciding which classic games to try on Nintendo Switch Online? We're here to tell you about the best games available and which upcoming titles to look out for!
― Nintendo's Virtual Console on Wii, Wii U, and 3DS was an amazing gift: a way for players to buy, download, and enjoy classic games from a variety of old consoles. Not just old Nintendo hits, but even classics from the Turbogra...
Inside Bandai Namco's First Akihabara Arcade
On March 1, the Namco Akihabara-ten arcade opened at the site of the recently closed GiGO Akihabara Arcade #4. This is Bandai Namco's first-ever Akihabara arcade, so ANN dropped by on opening day to see what it had to offer.
― On March 1, a new arcade, the "Namco Akihabara-ten," opened at the site of the recently closed GiGO (formerly Sega) Akihabara Arcade #4 across the street from Akihabara Station...
PREVIEW: Arcana of Paradise - The Tower Game
Arcana of Paradise - The Tower looks simple at first glance, but its straightforward appearance belies a satisfying deck-builder roguelike.
― Arcana of Paradise -The Tower is a real-time roguelike deckbuilding survival adventure published by SHUEISHA GAMES and developed by TASTO ALPHA. Originally set to be released in late 2022 under the title The Tower: To the Bottom, the newly renamed Arcana of Pa...
PREVIEW: Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
With Atelier Ryza 3's release fast approaching, fans can look forward to an emotional send-off to Reisalin Stroud.
― With Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, fans are staring down the end of the story of the young upstart alchemist Reisalin Stout –“Ryza” to her friends. The Atelier Ryza trilogy has maintained the Atelier franchise's tradition of cozy atmosphere with charming charac...
PREVIEW: Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
As a horror title, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse excels at eliciting jump scares, but the ghost design is pretty stale.
― Anime News Network was provided with a preview build for this title. The following impressions are based solely on the game's first three chapters. This preview was played on 'Normal' difficulty. Next month, Koei Tecmo will release Fatal Frame: Mask of the Luna Eclipse for the first t...
What in the World is a Final Fantasy XIV World Race?
Find out why this fan-made event has resulted in some of the most exciting moments in this Final Fantasy XIV and MMO history.
― Final Fantasy XIV's newest “Ultimate” boss fight was released on Tuesday. With it, competitors, streamers, viewers, and casters are gathered once again to commentate and celebrate a fan-made event that has resulted in some of the most exciting moments in this game's history,...
PREVIEW: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
There's difficulty in terms of enemy mobs, surprise enemies with bumped-up Morale, and bosses that require mastery in deflection, but Wo Long is surprisingly welcoming to even the most inexperienced of Souls-like players.
― While Koei Tecmo already has one foot in the “Souls”-like genre courtesy of their Nioh series, it seems they want to take a second bite at the apple with their upcoming “masocore”...
How Yakuza and Real-World History Collide in Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Richard Eisenbeis talked with game directors Hiroyuki Sakamoto and Yasuaki Uehara about what it was like to combine Like a Dragon's Yakuza-centric stories with the historical events surrounding the last days of the samurai.
― A few weeks back at Sega's HQ here in Tokyo, I got to sit down with both the director of the 2014 Japan-only Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, and the director of the up...
ANN's Most Read News and Interest Articles of 2022
We bid one last goodbye to 2022 with our top stories from the year.
― 2022 was a very different year compared to 2021 and 2020. The pandemic continued, but it no longer dominated the headlines, and its effects were much less apparent in most of our readers' countries. Although it didn't make the top ANN news itself, one of the biggest stories worldwide was, of course, the return to “life as usual,” o...
The Best Anime of 2022 - The Best Video Games of 2022
Jean-Karlo began his tenure at This Week in Games this year and he's closing 2022 with his top five. Find your next video game obsession right here.
― 2022, the year of the Farm Sim and people asking how Japanese was too Japanese for a Japanese video game. While much of the year was graced by Elden Ring's inescapable impact, it's important to remember that other games quietly came out and sat with u...
Hands-On with Like a Dragon: Ishin!
These are just some of the crazy experiences I had in under an hour of playing. It really felt like there was some adventure around every corner, and I had no idea what would happen next.
― This last weekend, I was able to drop by Sega HQ in Tokyo to spend an hour with the latest build of Like a Dragon: Ishin!, the upcoming remake of 2014's Japan-only Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! It turned out to be a rather...
PREVIEW: One Piece Odyssey
When it comes to recreating One Piece's spirit, One Piece Odyssey is set to pull it off with flying colors.
― With One Piece set to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Bandai Namco is pulling out all the stops to ring in its birthday with the biggest, grandest adventure the Straw Hats could ever face. The result of their efforts is One Piece Odyssey, a JRPG set to release this upcoming January 12th. We w...
Interview: Gungrave G.O.R.E. General Director Kay kim
With Beyond The Grave's return to the world of video games, we have some burning questions for the team Gungrave G.O.R.E team. We were lucky enough to sit down with general director Kay Kim for a quick one-on-one with Grave's resurrectors.
― With Beyond The Grave's return to the world of video games, we've no doubt had some burning questions for the team responsible for Gungrave G.O.R.E. We were luck...
Interview: Star Ocean 6: The Divine Force's Character Designer Akiman
Akiman is a renowned character designer who was called upon to help create the world and cast of Star Ocean 6: The Divine Force. We were lucky enough to sit down with the famed artist to ask him a few questions about his time working on the game.
― Best known for his design work in Capcom's Street Fighter games, Akiman is a renowned character designer who was called upon to help create the world and ...
Interview: My Hero Ultra Rumble Producer Aoba Miyazaki
Find out more about My Hero Ultra Rumble's new mechanics and what sets it apart from other fighting games in the series.
― After the success of My Hero One's Justice, Bandai Namco brings us My Hero Ultra Rumble, a new action game based on the hit shōnen series My Hero Academia. Instead of fighting one-on-one, players will have the chance to put their quirks to the test in teams of three, as being a h...
Kazutaka Kodaka Talks About His New Game, His Writing Process, and Danganronpa
"I’d say it’s like if Quentin Tarantino directed a Disney movie. [Laughs] But that’s something you’d want to see, isn’t it?"
― Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, the newest game from Danganronpa creator, Kazutaka Kodaka, is coming to the Nintendo Switch next year. We were able to sit down with him and talk about RAIN CODE and how he writes games—as well as his magnum opus Danganronpa. What is Mast...
PREVIEW: Gungrave G.O.R.E
Right away, Gungrave G.O.R.E. feels like a PS2 game—the action is still simple and very satisfying on a primal level, but still featuring clunky gameplay dating back from before character action games had been “figured out” as a genre.
― With Gungrave G.O.R.E., fans of third-person gunplay action can look forward to the return of Beyond The Grave, Yasuhiro Nightow's famed undead gunman. We were fortu...
Anime Influenced Some of 2022's Best Games
Callum May looks at the anime roots in games like Neon White, Elden Ring, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and more.
― While Japanese game creators have been fairly open about their anime and manga inspirations for decades, it's only more recently that Western developers have started to catch on. In particular, it's those in the indie space that have been showing their love for the medium the most, and that's never...
What's Valkyrie Profile All About?
A new and loosely connected game in the Valkyrie Profile series is on the horizon, so what’s the secret behind this cult-favorite series?
― It all comes down to dying. Every character who joins you, from the hardiest warriors to the most innocent newcomers, faces the final moments of existence in a world thick with strife, bloodshed, and sorrow. And death is no release for them, as they take up arms ...
Just What the Heck is Genshin Impact?
If you just heard about ufotable's new long-term collaboration with the Genshin Impact mobile game but don't know what all the hype is about, we have a primer here for you.
― If you look at the list of Twitter's most talked-about games of 2020, you'll see a bunch of names you probably expect: Animal Crossing, Fate/Grand Order, Final Fantasy, Fortnite… and a new title called Genshin Impact. By now, yo...
I-Sega-i: The Deep Gaming Cuts of Uncle From Another World
Heidi Kemps looks at the series' dive into Sega lore and how the console wars played out for gamers in Japan.
―
©殆ど死んでいる・KADOKAWA刊／異世界おじさん製作委員会
©SEGA Uncle from Another World isn't your standard isekai adventure. It's a story about a man who, while in a coma for 17 years, finds himself in a dangerous and unfamiliar fantasy world. When he wakes up, he shares the stories about his otherworldly deeds w...
PREVIEW: Mato Anomalies
This dual-protagonist JRPG shows a lot of promise...but still needs its technical problems smoothed out.
― Boasting creative staff from both America and China, Arrowiz Studios is currently hard at work producing a brand-new JRPG: Mato Anomalies. We were fortunate enough to gain access to an exclusive demo of the game on PC courtesy of Arrowiz. Mato Anomalies takes place in a retro-futuristic version ...
Anime Expo 2022 - Interview with Digimon Survive Game Producer Habu Kazumasa
With an interesting mix of combat and visual novel-esque presentation, wrapped in a more dramatic, almost horror-filled tone, Digimon Survive looks to be an interesting addition to the franchise we all know and love.
― Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Digimon Anime, Digimon Survive presents a brand-new adventure set in a mysterious world where your choices matter. With an interesting mix of co...
Anime Expo 2022 - Interview with One Piece Odyssey Game Producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki
What epic story awaits in multi-platform One Piece Odyssey game? Find out more in our interview!
― One Piece Odyssey is an upcoming role-playing video game being developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment set to release sometime in 2022. The game features an original, self-contained story with involvement by series creator Eiichiro Oda. At Anime Expo 2022, Anime News Network was gi...
Interview: Gundam Evolution Game Producer Kazuya Maruyama and Battle Director Ryota Hogaki
Kazuya Maruyama and Ryota Hogaki promised that the Gundam Evolution game will go in a new direction not previously seen in Gundam video games before.
― At Anime Expo 2022, we were invited to meet the creators of the upcoming game Gundam Evolution, which will be released on PC and various consoles for free this year. There have been many video games related to the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, from em...
What's The Deal With Darkstalkers?
Darkstalkers is back in the spotlight this month with Capcom Fighting Collection, but why does this long-dormant series have such a following? Let’s find out!
― The big fighting games of the 1990s are still going strong. Capcom has Street Fighter 6 in the works. SNK
released The King of Fighters XV earlier this year and brought back Samurai Shodown not so long ago. We've seen recent outings for Morta...
PREVIEW: The Mecha Action-Shooter Gundam Evolution
Anime News Network got a first look at the upcoming free-to-play game. Find out why our reviewer called it "a good mix of hectic chaos and tense anticipation."
― The Gundam universe has no shortage of video game adaptations, and this past week saw the five-day-long network test for Bandai Namco's newest take on the storied franchise. Gundam Evolution stands poised to be the franchise's first-ever fre...
Interview: The King of Fighters XV Creative Director Eisuke Ogura and Game Director Kaito Soranaka
We caught up with The King of Fighters XV creative director Eisuke Ogura and game director Kaito Soranaka to find out their thoughts, inspirations for the combat, and their dream team from across the SNK universe.
― The King of Fighters XV arrived last month with an ambitious new take on SNK's long-running series, packing in both new ideas and characters alongside a familiar lineup and voluminous ref...
How Hisui Became Sinnoh
Callum May jumps into the setting of Pokémon Legends: Arceus to see how the setting has developed over multiple games.
― There were only two months between the releases of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends: Arceus, giving players the opportunity to explore the Hokkaido-inspired region twice within this short time frame. Our original 2006 introduction to Sinnoh hasn't been re...
What Happened to Sol Press?
The light novel, manga, and visual novel publisher's releases were pulled amid the company founder's disappearance, leaving team members unpaid.
― Sol Press was a North American localization company that specialized in manga, light novels, and visual novels. Founded in 2017, it had a lot of promise for a small publisher, licensing beloved niche titles like Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Blend S, and Is...
Ranking Pokémon's Evil Teams from Least to Most Justified
The Pokémon series has introduced numerous evil organizations over the years, but are there any that, dare we say it, had a point? Callum May investigates.
― Due to the game focusing more on catching than battling, this year's Pokémon Legends: Arceus was the first within the main series to not feature an evil team or organization. Instead, the player character works as part of the Galaxy Expedition T...
PREVIEW: Rune Factory 5
Jean-Karlo Lemus finds out what's new and what continues to work in the latest entry for the fan-favorite game series.
― Fan-favorite cult-hit Rune Factory 4 was only just recently ported to PC, but Marvelous and XSeed don't want fans to dawdle in the past for too long. This March sees the release of Rune Factory 5, the newest entry into the famed spin-off of the Story of Seasons series, on the Ninte...
Interview: Captain Tsubasa Creator Yoichi Takahashi and Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team Producer Ooki
Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team received a brand new story installment titled NEXT DREAM that is penned by none other than Captain Tsubasa's creator Yōichi Takahashi himself.
― Back in September, the football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team received a brand new story installment titled NEXT DREAM that is penned by none other than Captain Tsubasa's creator Yoichi Takahashi himself. Anime News ...
What's the Deal With Disney Twisted-Wonderland?
Disney Twisted-Wonderland stands out among the other Japanese-developed collaborations because of how unabashedly otaku it is.
― Disney Twisted-Wonderland isn't the first time Disney has collaborated with prominent Japanese game creators on bold new interpretations of classic Disney properties. The most obvious example is, of course, Kingdom Hearts, but there have been other examples over the years: ...
Is Halo Legends Still Legendary?
With the release of the long-awaited Halo: Infinite, along with the 20th anniversary of the franchise, it's a pretty great time to be a Halo fan.
― With the release of the long-awaited Halo: Infinite, along with the 20th anniversary of the franchise, it's a pretty great time to be a Halo fan. As such, I think now would be the perfect moment to take a look back at Halo's often-overlooked venture into...
ANN's Most Read News and Interest Articles of 2021
The most read stories on ANN, from VTubers to Mushoku Tensei controversy.
― 2021 was a strange year as we all continue to navigate the changing landscape of the pandemic. Cons were back, albeit briefly, before the Omicron surge changed expectations once again. In the anime world, not all the surprises were negative. Somehow, against all odds, a deal was brokered to get Macross into the western world ...
Award-Winning Composer Kevin Penkin On Creating The Soundtrack For Grow:Song of the Evertree
Kevin Penkin rose to prominence within the anime scene after his evocative and captivating soundtrack for the Made in Abyss anime. His latest project is the magical sandbox video game Grow:Song of the Evertree.
― British-Australian composer Kevin Penkin rose to prominence within the anime scene after his evocative and captivating soundtrack for the Made in Abyss anime, which won him the Crunchyroll A...
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Is Actually a Perfect Game In Translation
That statement may come as a surprise for people who spent years wondering if the game would ever get an English localization at all, but at its heart, The Great Ace Attorney is an Anglophile's game.
― At its heart, The Great Ace Attorney is an Anglophile's game. That statement may come as a surprise for people who spent years wondering if the game would ever get an English localization at all. Since...
Delving into RPG Maker Horror in Translation with vgperson
Adam Wescott talks with prolific freeware game translator vgperson about the prolific RPG Maker indie horror game scene.
―
Angels of Death anime visual Angels of Death is a spooky buddy-cop thriller about a young woman with a death wish and an edgy murderer escaping a hospital run by serial killers. Premiering in 2018, it ran for sixteen episodes and spawned this great installment of This Week in An...
PREVIEW: Shin Megami Tensei V
Atlus is priming to assault fans with another wave of demons with Shin Megami Tensei V, the next entry in the hallowed JRPG series coming this November 12th for the Nintendo Switch.
― Even though Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remix released just this past May, Atlus is priming to assault fans with another wave of demons with Shin Megami Tensei V, the next entry in the hallowed JRPG series comin...
Pokemon Masters EX Delivers on 25 Years of Nostalgia
Pokémon Masters EX has been my obsession throughout 2021 and what struck me the most was its events and storytelling.
― Back in August, Pokémon fans came away excited by brand new footage from both the somewhat open-world Pokémon Legends: Arceus title and the remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Yet the only thing I could think about following the Pokémon Presents livestream was, “Wow! They're giving...
PREVIEW: Shin Megami Tensei V Is Nocturne Enhanced
If you've played even one game in this series, you'll know roughly what to expect. SMT V once again takes its players to an apocalyptic, desert-ified Tokyo populated with capricious demons.
― In retrospect, the timing of the Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD remaster, which came out in English earlier this year, could not have been better. It served as a perfect refresher course of what makes SMT g...
Interview: Remake Our Life!'s True-to-Life Depiction of Creative Work With Frontwing Producer Yasuhiro Atobe
ANN spoke to producer Yasuhiro Atobe to learn about Frontwing's connection to the anime, and how its depiction of creative work rings true to life.
― Remake Our Life! tells the story of Kyōya Hashiba, a game industry worker. After encountering a dead end in his adult life, he travels back in time to his university days, where he strives to create things with his newfound friends. The visual novel dev...
The Game Designers Behind NEO: The World Ends With You
To celebrate the release of this hotly-anticipated sequel, we chatted directly with producer Tomohiko Hirano, Square Enix character design legend Tetsuya Nomura, and key character designers Gen Kobayashi and Miki Yamashita.
― It's been a long time coming, but the follow-up to Square-Enix's The World Ends With You is almost upon us. To celebrate the release of this hotly-anticipated sequel, we were gi...
PREVIEW: Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed
Jean-Karlo revisits the vampire-stripping brawler for its 2021 update. Can you (and your fresh threads) survive an Akihabara filled with vamps?
― Bram Stroker's Dracula would have been a way different if Keanu Reeves had yanked off Gary Oldman's pants early in the film. But that's the main hook for Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed, from XSeed and Marvelous. A remake of the 2011 Akiba's Trip, thi...
PREVIEW: Tales of Arise is a Classic Tale for a New Era
Heidi checked out the latest Tales game and found the makings of a stunning new entry in the beloved franchise.
― Folks, I have good news: Tales of Arise is, in fact, a Tales game.
Okay, that might sound like a stupidly obvious statement, but there has been some trepidation from the fanbase that Bandai Namco's Tales Studio might be trying to take the series in a more “Western” direction. It's not ent...
PREVIEW: Samurai Warriors 5
Samurai Warriors 5 focuses on the story of Nobunaga Oda, from humble beginnings as a foolish warlord with eyes bigger than his stomach to famed conqueror. Jean-Karlo sat down with the latest installment in the hack-and-slash franchise to see if the charm still holds.
― The Dynasty Warriors games have an illustrious reputation for their consistency. Famed for being games where players can choose one o...
PREVIEW: Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis Beta
Myles got to try out three classes for Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis in what he's calling a "seamless open-world MMORPG experience with perfectly choreographed action."
― The MMORPG genre doesn't show up often in my gaming repertoire, and the Phantasy Star games have absolutely eluded my reach. That being said, after coming off of three days with the Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis beta, it...
PREVIEW: ConnecTank
The Natsume Indie Program has paired up with developer YummyYummyTummy to present a game that's shaping up to be one of the better multiplayer arcade romps of the year.
― Last week, I was able to attend a discord-hosted press conference debuting a preview of ConnecTank, an upcoming multiplayer puzzle game that plays like a cross between Overcooked and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. The game is a...
PREVIEW: My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero Mobile Game
The game has just recently been released for English-speaking audiences this week, and I was lucky enough to sit down for a short demo with the pre-release version of the game, alongside some time playing on my own.
― My Hero Academia has been a juggernaut in the US anime and manga scene for years now, and it's spun off into darn near every media avenue available; spin-off novels and manga, feature ...
PREVIEW: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster
The rise of the Shin Megami Tensei series in the US can be charted back to Nocturne on the PS2. Atlus and Sega are now remastering the third numbered SMT game for modern consoles and PCs. We sat down with the Switch version to check it out.
― With the meteoric popularity of the Persona games, it's easy to forget that they're a spin-off of the greater Shin Megami Tensei series. There have been more Sh...
Log Horizon, Undertale, and the Stories Game Mechanics Can Tell
Like Undertale, Log Horizon is a great example of a game-based story whose creator also pondered how game mechanics can be used to tell certain stories that couldn't be properly conveyed otherwise.
― I don't have a lot of time to play games nowadays, but I do think a lot about them, and some streamers I keep tabs on have been playing Undertale recently. Without spoiling anything too deep, there's a s...
PREVIEW: Story Of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Your relationship with the people of Olive Town is the game's real heart; that's what has given the brand the strength to carry on over all these years without getting lost in a sea of generic sim games.
― While downloading Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, I realized something: I've never actually played a Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons game. I'm familiar with the concept, mostly because it w...
Set Sail with One Piece Treasure Cruise Producer Tomoya Yoshizawa
Ahead of ONE PIECE Treasure Cruise's sixth anniversary, Anime News Network was able to talk to Producer Yoshi to discuss his favorite moments from the series and how the game has evolved over the last six years.
― The popular mobile game ONE PIECE Treasure Cruise is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a brand-new English-language campaign, "Operation: Bring Back Sanji ~Extremely Hellish Chaos?!~ ...
Touhou Project: From Fan-Made Games to Consoles
Created across 1995 and 1996 by one-man developer ZUN, the Touhou Project fandom has taken on a life of its own with doujin games of every stripe. Ant Cooke looks at some of most interesting creations in the series.
― Whether you're new to the Touhou Project series or a veteran of bullet hell games, you might've seen games like Touhou Luna Nights and Touhou Genso Wanderer on digital storefronts. Thes...
Video Game Preview: Exploration is Key in Harvest Moon: One World
Players are taking their farms on the road to new locations with unique flora and fauna in Natsume's newest entry in the Harvest Moon franchise.
― The Harvest Moon franchise is treasured as an easy-going series of farm and life sims bringing relaxation to players around the world. This March 5th, video game company Natsume brings us the most recent entry to this storied
series: Harvest Moon: One Worl...
Interview: Gust Brand Manager and Atelier Ryza Producer, Junzo Hosoi
Anime News Network had the opportunity to interview Gust Brand Manager and Atelier Ryza Producer Junzo Hosoi about the alchemy behind Atelier Ryza's success and charm.
― Despite being mostly a cozy, laid-back RPG adventure, last year's Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout has become a surprising smash hit since its release, having sold over 420,000 copies to date according to Gematsu. Now...
Just What the Heck is Genshin Impact?
With the game's major story arcs still being very unfinished, you might be wondering just what Genshin Impact's player base is spending so much time on. But once you set foot in Teyvat's big, open environment, you'll definitely start to understand: this world was built for lots of replayability.
― If you look at the list of Twitter's most talked-about games of 2020, you'll see a bunch of names you pr...
PREVIEW: Twenty Hours with the Princess Connect! Re:Dive Mobile Game
If the worst thing I can say about the game is that I'm annoyed I can't play more of it, that should give you a hint as to how much I have enjoyed it so far.
― Over the past week, I've spent easily 20 hours plowing through the smartphone game Princess Connect! Re:Dive. And despite giving it my all, I am nowhere near the current endgame—as you might expect from any mobile game with a “stamina” system...
Persona 5 Strikers Hands-On Preview - Don't Bring a Knife to a Persona Fight
Callum May dives into the latest Persona title: a Warriors- style title that is "unlike any other crossover Omega Force has developed in the past."
― During the early development of Hyrule Warriors, the team at Omega Force wanted to have the game involve dungeons, puzzles, and all of the things intrinsic to a Zelda game. However, then general manager Shigeru Miyamoto shot down the idea, telling the t...
Final Fantasy XIV is the Best Final Fantasy Game
Initially maligned for its many issues, Callum May details the history of Square-Enix's MMORPG and how it bloomed into the best Final Fantasy entry.
― If you have a friend who plays Final Fantasy XIV, give them a (social-distance) hug. For
Warriors of Light around the world, myself included, the year since the Shadowbringers
expansion has been an emotional rollercoaster. From the outside, this can be...
Interview: VR Visual Novel Altdeus: Beyond Chronos Director Haruki Kashiwakura
The team behind the intriguing Tokyo Chronos VR visual novel game is back with Altdeus: Beyond Chronos, a sci-fi VN set in future Shibuya.
― Last year, MyDearest released the intriguing Tokyo Chronos VR visual novel game, which implemented traditional visual novel gameplay mechanics in a VR setting. The game was a success in Japan, but the team at MyDearest is interested in reaching an even wider aud...
PREVIEW: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
With the new generation of consoles fast approaching and more emphasis than ever on bigger, grander, weightier worlds and stakes, Atelier Ryza 2 is content with swaddling you with a good time, even if it's a bit rustic at it.
― Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy is, in a word, cozy. With the new generation of consoles fast approaching and more emphasis than ever on bigger, grander, we...
What's the Story With Shenmue?
Why is Sega and Yu Suzuki's ambitious multi-part video game saga so enduring? And why is it getting an anime adaptation?
― Do you know any places where sailors like to hang out? Do you know where there's a pay phone around here? Do you remember that day when snow turned to rain? Did you happen to see a black car that day? It wasn't the kind of car usually seen around here. Do you know anyone who can ...
Interview: Yakuza: Like a Dragon Localization Producer Scott Strichart
The last few years have seen Yakuza transform from a localization longshot into one of Sega's most visible franchises in the west, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon seems poised to become the series’ biggest hit yet.
― Sega's highly-anticipated Yakuza: Like a Dragon hits digital and physical stores in North America next week, introducing old and new fans alike to an RPG-flavored spin on Sega's long-running c...
Sneak Peek: Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia
Myles takes an early look at the newest entry in the Bakugan franchise and finds a game perfect for scratching that monster-catcher itch.
― “Bakugan is back.” These are the words that Spin Team representative Cole Flott used to head off late September's briefing on upcoming news for the franchise. And he wasn't kidding. In addition to its Armored Alliance series dropping on Netflix soon, a new season...
Interview: Re:ZERO Creator Tappei Nagatsuki and Illustrator Shinichirou Otsuka
In anticipation of the Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne multi-console game, we interviewed series creator Tappei Nagatsuki and novel illustrator Shinichirou Otsuka.
― The Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne game for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam will release in North America on January 29 and in Europe on Februa...
The Role of Memoria Freese in DanMachi World-Building
If you wrote off Memoria Freese as just another mobage, Theron Martin is here to tell you all the juicy plot details hiding inside.
― In June 2017, Wright Flyer Studios debuted DanMachi ~Memoria Freese~ (hereafter DanMemo), a mobile app game based on the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? franchise. The franchise proved popular enough overseas that Crunchyroll cut a deal to localize t...
Interview: Robotics;Notes Elite and DaSH Producer Tatsuya Matsubara
If you've seen the Robotics;Notes anime, why should you play the game? Richard Eisenbeis gets the answers from game producer Tatsuya Matsubara.
― The western world is about to see a lot more Science Adventure visual novel titles, with the upcoming English release of Robotics;Notes Elite and Robotics;Notes DaSH in October. Robotics;Notes Elite is an enhanced version of the original Robotics;Notes visu...
Pro Overwatch Player Bischu Talks Anime Ahead of Playoffs
Los Angeles Gladiators professional Overwatch player Bischu is gearing up for the league playoffs on today. Jacki Jing caught up with 26-year-old D.Va and Roadhog player ahead of the team's match for a quick anime-flavored intermission.
― Los Angeles Gladiators professional Overwatch player Bischu is gearing up for the league playoffs on today. Anime News Network's Jacki Jing caught up with 26-year-o...
PREVIEW: Bandai Namco Games' Action RPG Scarlet Nexus
Heidi has the lowdown on Bandai Namco Games’ “brainpunk” adventure...and she can't wait to get her hands on the full game. Find out why!
― In a COVID-ravaged world, game previews have changed. No longer are we invited to events where we can get hands-on time with upcoming titles – instead, we have online demo events where we watch a development-in-progress version of the game get shown off for us. Wh...
Sneak Peek: Atlus and Sega's 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
From the creators of Odin Sphere and Dragon Crown comes 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, a series of intertwining stories that promise to take players on a journey across time, space and humanity.
― Synopsis: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is SEGA and Vanillaware's newest sci-fi mystery adventure taking players on a journey across time, space and humanity spanning thirteen intertwining stories. Met with high praise...
Interview: FAIRY TAIL Game Producer Keisuke Kikuchi
Kikuchi details what makes this franchise entry a unique, rewarding experience, including content not previously seen in the manga.
― Based on Hiro Mashima's hit manga series by the same name, the FAIRY TAIL RPG was recently released on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in both Japan and the West in July. To discuss the offerings of this new game, we interviewed FAIRY TAIL producer and...
Pokémon GO Fest: Home Edition
COVID-19 might have put a halt on the annual Pokémon GO Fest gathering, but Niantic still found a way to bring Trainers together virtually.
― In a normal year, Pokémon GO Fest would have returned to Chicago in July to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Niantic's most popular game. Responding to the pandemic, we instead participated from our own parks, backyards, and couches. No gatherings of thousan...
Anime vs. The NES
Join us on a trip through an era when Nintendo ruled the world and companies did their best to erase all traces of anime and manga from video games.
― The game industry will never again know an era like the reign of the Nintendo Entertainment System from 1985 to 1991. Nintendo and the NES owned the American home-console market for half a decade, thanks to a mixture of entertaining games, tight-fisted...
The Secrets of Final Fantasy VII's Success
What made Final Fantasy VII such a hit? And why can't we stop talking about it? With the arrival of Final Fantasy VII Remake, we take a look at how everything began.
― Final Fantasy VII heralded many things when it arrived on the PlayStation in 1997. It legitimized a new era of cinematic video games. It marked a major victory for Sony in the game-console market. It started plenty of arguments. Final ...
In the World of Otome Games, All Routes Lead To Romance
A professional translator of visual novels waxes rhapsodical about the glory of otome games - ostensibly built around romancing a bunch of hot guys, but there's more to it than that!
― Have you ever looked at an anime boy and thought, "Man, I wish I could make you blush"? My name is Molly Lee, and I am a professional translator of light novels and visual novels. My first experience with otome games w...
Hands-On Impressions and Interview: Granblue Fantasy Versus
Get an inside look at the smash hit mobile game Granblue Fantasy's exciting transition to fighting games, courtesy of Arc System Works!
― There always seems to be an upswell of excitement when it's announced that Arc System Works in involved in a new fighting game, but even moreso when they're loaning their development prowess to an already-established franchise like Persona or Dragon Ball. So when G...
Who Writes Fate/Grand Order?
Fate/Grand Order is a genuine phenomenon that builds on an already massively successful fantasy franchise - but who are the people behind the story? Kim Morrissy investigates.
― It's mind-boggling to think that Type-Moon and Delight Works' Fate/Grand Order role-playing game is among the top-grossing mobile apps worldwide. Even though I don't play the game myself, I can't help but feel a bit of pride ...
Exploring The Intense Visual Mastery of Square-Enix Cutscenes
Callum May dives deep into the incredible history - and the future - of Square-Enix's world-famous, spectacular CG videogame cutscenes and animated films.
― Realism can be a contentious part of 3D animation creation. Although cartoon approaches are common, realistic artistic movements have benefited greatly from advances in technology over the past few decades. That said, realism can often be constra...
Raging Loop Scenario Writer Amphibian
The writer behind the upcoming new psychological horror visual novel - praised highly by both Gen Urobuchi and Ryukishi07 - discusses his inspirations and what went in to making this.
― Raging Loop is an award-winning psychological horror visual novel developed at Kemco and published overseas by PQube. It's one of the more intriguing new visual novels to emerge in the market, having received endorsem...
Character Spotlight: The Cast of Devil May Cry 5
Meet the main cast of Devil May Cry 5. They're all here, Nero, Dante, V, Lady, Trish and Nico.
― NERO
The Young Devil Hunter The young Devil Hunter operating out of the mobile Devil May Cry. Having lost his demonic arm (the Devil Bringer) before the events of the game, he stands against the invading demonic forces with a new power provided by Nico. DANTE
The Strongest Demon Slayer The proprietor of ...
How Square Enix Convinced Disney to Make Kingdom Hearts
Given the iron-fisted control Disney wields over their intellectual property, how did Tetsuya Nomura get away with something so crazy? Callum May runs down the history of this franchise's creative development from the earliest days to this year's greatly anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3!
― In the early days at Disney, the idea for Kingdom Hearts was regarded by some as an “abomination”. Instead of the ty...
ANN's Most Read News Articles of 2018
The top 25 anime, manga, and video game headlines of 2018!
― The sheer output of anime each season in 2018 means more news articles for our team to tackle to keep our readers in the know. This year, Anime News Network's News team published 8,159 articles. This feature went dormant for a few years, but 2017 had a total of 7,711 news articles. Our output has continued to grow year after year thanks to ...
ANN's Most Read Interest Articles of 2018
― 2018 brought a lot of change-ups to Interest as our small time spent more time creating in-depth articles from the industry, breaking news about controversy on social media, and still including all the fun "most anticipated" and strange developments you expect from us. I got to close out the year writing about how a bot seized control of Rokka: Brave of Six Flower's website and posted a bunch of g...
A Brief History of One Piece Video Games, Part 2
Our second trip through the history of One Piece video games covers 2004-2018, featuring burning blood, pirate carnivals, and...dancing!
― The year was 2004, and One Piece was coming to North America. VIZ had begun releasing the manga the previous year, and 4kids premiered an edited version on Fox with an all-new opening theme that must be heard by everyone. Debate continues to this day as to whether...
Interview: Kill la Kill the Game: IF Director Hideaki Mizota
Get the inside story and some fun details from the director of the upcoming collaboration between Aplus Games and TRIGGER, Kill la Kill the Game: IF.
― Kill la Kill the Game: IF has been picking up more steam lately, introducing more playable characters and features ahead of its 2019 release. The game is being published by Arc System Works, and although the developer is Aplus, who previously worked o...
Holiday Gift Guide 2018 - Games
2018 saw a tidal wave of great games - so which ones make the perfect gifts? From Dragon Quest XI to Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu, here's a list of the best and brightest - that might just make the perfect present.
Interview: Record of Grancrest War Creator Ryo Mizuno and producer Yurika Tsukita
Ryo Mizuno, creator of wars both Lodoss and Grancrest, talks up his long and storied career in novels and RPGs alongside the producer of the new Grancrest War mobile game from Bandai Namco.
― Ryo Mizuno's career has been pretty spectacular – both a novelist and a game designer, Mizuno made his mark after creating a legend with the blockbuster fantasy novel series Record of Lodoss War back in 1988 (wh...
A Brief History of One Piece Video Games, Part 1
We journey through the lineage of One Piece games, uncovering brawlers, baseball, and something called the WonderSwan!
― One Piece had a short voyage to success. Creator Eiichiro Oda devised the pirate epic as a series of one-shot stories in 1996, and One Piece was a prominent Shonen Jump manga by 1997, an anime OVA by 1998, and a TV series by 1999. And from there it took the next logical step for an...
Takuya Yamanaka, Director of The Caligula Effect: Overdose
The director behind thrilling psychological adventure game The Caligula Effect talks in-depth about the anime adaptation and the game's splashy rerelease slated for 2019.
― Two years ago, developer FuRyu released a collaboration with Persona 1 and 2 writer Tadashi Satomi, The Caligula Effect, exclusively on PSVita. However, next year will be the opportunity to revisit this sci-fi psychological concep...
Interview: Sohei Niikawa, Writer and Producer of Disgaea
The producer and writer behind the iconic strategy RPG series Disgaea reflects on 15 years of success, and what it takes to keep an aging franchise relevant.
― We may be a few years off from a Disgaea 6, but the first Disgaea game is making its way to Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 with all-new HD graphics in the form of Disgaea Complete. The original game released on the Playstation 2 in 2003, bu...
Interview: CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama
The developers behind the .hack RPG series and Naruto Ultimate Ninja has an ambitious plan for not one but three brand-new original games in 2019. CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama lays out his vision for the future of the company.
― Anime fans scarcely need an introduction to game developer CyberConnect2 – the company's game releases have been synonymous with anime for years and years now, having handled the am...
Tokyo Game Show 2018 Part Two: Kingdom Hearts III, Devil May Cry 5, and More
Kim Morrissy swings Keyblades with Sora, catches up with Dante, and battles some huge bugs in some of the most anticipated video game titles at Tokyo Game Show!
― There were plenty of cool new games to check out at this year's Tokyo Game Show. After years of wait, plenty of fan favorite game series returned this year, not least Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry. Here's the lowdown of the major demos a...
Tokyo Game Show 2018: Bandai Namco's Jump Force Brings the Action
Callum May throws fists in Jump Force, flies high in the cockpit of Ace Combat 7 VR, and joins the Straw Hat Crew for One Piece: World Seeker in Part One of our Tokyo Game Show coverage!
― Tokyo Game Show is a way for both the press and fans to get their hands on many of the much anticipated titles to be released in 2018 and 2019. However, due to the crowds at TGS, even on the business day, it can be...
Interview: Zero Escape Director Kotaro Uchikoshi
An interview with the director of the mind-bending cult favorite Zero Escape adventure game series, who has not one but TWO new games in development.
― An accomplished game designer with a lengthy career, Kotaro Uchikoshi is best known for his work designing the acclaimed Zero Escape games, a mind-bending, macabre adventure series that first launched with the cult hit Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine D...
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